Chinamasa must resign over failure to pay civil servants – Biti

The failure by the Zanu PF government to pay civil servants’ salaries for two consecutive months of June and July 2016 is unacceptable and gross violations of the rights of the civil servants.

It is the duty of every employer to pay salaries for employees for service rendered.

Everywhere throughout the world, salaries are paid in arrears after service has been rendered and when an employer has already benefited. Subjecting workers to non-payment is subjecting them to slavery and servitude.

Section 54 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe makes it clear that no person must be subjected to slavery and servitude. That same Constitution in Section 65 states that everyone has a right to be paid a fair and reasonable wage.

Chinamasa must resign over failure to pay civil servants – Biti

Therefore, civil servants are entitled to their salaries. It is clear to us that the failure by government to pay civil servants is a result of self-induced policy distortions that have crippled this economy.

Since 2013, left on its own, this government has embarked on hypocritical, illiterate and senseless policy measures demonstrated by the high levels of de-industrialisation and joblessness.Some of the horrible commissions and omissions by this government are;

The doubling up of civil servants from 236 000 in February 2013 to 550 000 in December 2013.

The noisy discordant pursuit of a predatory policy of indigenisation.

The imposition of policy and tariff regimes including the enactment of Statutory Instrument (SI) 64 of 2016.

The pursuit of an expansionary fiscal policy that pays no respect to fundamentals that a government can only spend that which it has, including the abandonment of the principal of cash budgeting. (We eat what we kill).

The maintenance and replication of costly parastatals such as Air Zimbabwe, NetOne, TelOne, National Railways of Zimbabwe, Cold Storage Company and Zimdef to name only a few, which are mere conduits of personal self aggrandizement for ministers and top government officials.

Lack of transparency in natural resources especially in respect of diamonds where $15 billion was looted by Zanu PF elites and their partners in Dubai, Tel Aviv, Mauritius and Shanghai.

Massive corruption and leakages within a government driven by a departure lounge mentality.

The monetisation of domestic debt through the issuance of toxic Treasury Bills, which have had a massive crowding out effect on private borrowing.

Reckless expenditure patterns reflected in massive investments in government luxury vehicles and expensive foreign trips and vice presidents and ministers who reside in expensive hotels.

The absence of a policy to promote re-industrialisation, domestic savings and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

In short, the failure to pay salaries must be placed squarely on a predatory and vampire state that has failed and failed in absolute terms.

The citizen, in the form of the nascent social movement has a duty and obligation to rise against this government within the four corners of the Constitution.

On the other hand there is a duty on all political parties and other stakeholders to urgently convene a National Convergence Platform (NCP) to map the way forward on the challenges affecting this economy.

The convergence of all Zimbabweans will create a united front to fight the rogue regime and come up with solutions to resolve our challenges and avert the crisis.

The national dialogue will also provide fertile ground for the creation of an inclusive transition mechanism in the form of the National Transitional Authority (NTA).

Our biggest fear is that the total absence and frailty of the President will create a vacuum which be filled by other forms of unconstitutional machinations for a military coup to happen.

This as citizens, we will not allow.

The NTA is thus as overdue as it is welcome. Tendai Biti, PDP President